San Francisco, CA — December 9, 2021 — Premium Port Wines, the US importer of leading Port producer Symington Family Estates, is pleased to announce that Hugh Symington, 5th generation family member, has been promoted to Marketing & Communications Manager. As the head of the department, Symington brings a new perspective and energy to all aspects of marketing, overseeing US brand communications and development. Premium Port Wines is Symington Family Estates’ primary US importing company, founded in 1985.
Symington has been an integral part of the marketing team at Premium Port Wines in San Francisco since 2017. Prior to his current position, he served as a liaison for the US sales team across the United States, training local distributors across key markets. As a part of the next generation of Symingtons, Hugh connected with perspectives from young minds and seasoned professionals alike. This invaluable experience lent itself well to the customer-facing aspect of the role, as he bridged generations, gaining innovative insight as well as tapping into the wealth of knowledge from long-standing industry professionals.
“We are thrilled to have Hugh stepping into this important role and to have a family member represent this rich portfolio of wines that reflect the Symington’s legacy. We are lucky to have Hugh working with us here in the US,” Peter Scott, President, Premium Port Wines.
Before joining Premium Port Wines, Symington spent time working for several wine competitions in London, learning from wine judges who are valued writers and tasters in the industry. A Porto, Portugal native, Symington is the son of Rupert Symington who is CEO of Symington Family Estates and his American-born mother, Anne. Symington’s formative years were spent being surrounded by the many facets of the Port trade; his most pivotal experience was summers spent working at the family’s DOC winery at Quinta do Sol alongside his uncle and winemaker, Charles Symington. Symington is one of six 5th generation cousins holding positions across the globe at Symington Family Estates.
Symington received his Bachelor’s degree in Food Science from Nottingham University in the United Kingdom in 2016. He enjoys spending time with family and friends, whether it be surfing with American cousins in Santa Cruz, hiking in Yosemite, or skiing in Lake Tahoe.
About Symington Family Estates
The Symingtons of Scottish, English and Portuguese descent have been Port producers in northern Portugal since 1882. For five generations they have combined their passion for producing premium Ports and wines with a deep commitment to the region’s land and people. Today ten Symingtons work across their four famous Port houses – Graham’s, Cockburn’s, Dow’s and Warre’s – as well as their Douro wine projects – Quinta do Vesuvio, Quinta do Ataíde, Altano and Prats & Symington (of Chryseia fame) – and a new venture, Quinta da Fonte Souto in the Alto Alentejo.
Symington Family Estates is a leading premium Port producer and the family is the leading vineyard owners in the Douro Valley, with 26 Quintas covering 5,527 acres and 2,530 acres of vineyard. Their vineyards are managed under sustainable viticulture practices and 276 acres are organically farmed, the largest area of organic vineyards in the Douro. In 2019 Symington Family Estates became the first winery in Portugal to achieve B Corp certification. Symington Family Estates is unique amongst the major Port companies in that each working family member farms their own vineyard, alongside those under the family’s joint company ownership.
